


Apart

by Macncheese22



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Smut, Hatake Kakashi Is Trying, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kakashi is basically Naruto's father at this point, Kakashi is horny but also Hokage, Maybe some OOC behavior?, Multi, Naruto experiences some angst, Sakura has good character development, Sasuke does some soul searching, Slight GaaSaku, i really don't know what i'm doing, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24817831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macncheese22/pseuds/Macncheese22
Summary: A story that basically has Sasuke becoming Dora the Explorer, lol. On a more serious note, I try to follow Sasuke as he does some thinking and soul-searching and (possibly?) learns to have fun sometimes. Back in Konoha, Sakura tries to get over her feelings for Sasuke and does a little thinking of her own and finally begins to recognize how much Naruto cares for her. And Kakashi...yeah he gets himself into a bit of trouble with some very important people.
Relationships: Sasuke Uchiha/OC; Naruto Uzumaki/Sakura Haruno
Kudos: 2





	1. Departure

**Author's Note:**

> So to be honest with anyone who reads this, I haven't actually watched the end of Shippuden or The Last, I'm just going off of plot summaries, lol. Anyways, enjoy! Feel free to leave comments or feedback!

“You know you don’t have to leave Sasuke-kun. You can still stay in the village,” Naruto frowned as he stood under Konoha’s main gate. Sasuke had been in the village for a few weeks after he was released from prison, doing minute jobs around the village to try to regain the villagers’ trust.  
Sasuke looked up at the gate, then back at Naruto. He had already made up his mind and nothing or no one could convince him to change it. “I know that. That won’t change anything, Naruto, so don’t waste your time.”  
Sakura attempted to grab his poncho, but he quickly moved away. “Sasuke-kun, there’s no need for you to leave the village. There’s a place for you here, whether you think so or not. We all care about you here. More than you might know.” Her hand went to her chest and grasped at her heart.  
Sasuke sighed. “I’m not staying. I need time away from this place. Time for myself,” He turned away from his team. “I just need to find out who I am and I need to do it away from here.”  
Naruto smiled sadly and patted Sasuke’s shoulder. “I don’t think I completely understand, but I don’t think I need to. Just know you’ll always be welcome, ok?” He put his hands on the back of his head and began to walk away. “Sakura-chan, you coming?”  
“Just a minute,” She answered as she turned back to her other teammate. “Sasuke,---”  
“Sakura-chan,” Sasuke remained facing away from her. “You should stop expecting me to be interested in you because I’m not. To me, you are a friend, a very dear one, and I don’t want to risk that by dating you,” He had thought about his feelings for Sakura for a few weeks now and had finally made a decision. He knew she wouldn’t be happy, but it was best for both of them. “Besides, you should pay more attention to Naruto, he’s clearly in love with you. He treats you like a goddess. Everything he does, he does for you, to see you happy.”  
Tears were beginning to well in Sakura’s eyes. She was glad Sasuke wasn’t looking, she always thought she was ugly when she cried. “Sasuke-kun...I---, I’ll think about what you said. Good luck.” She turned away to follow Naruto back into the village, leaving Sasuke alone.  
~  
Sasuke wandered the streets of the quaint village he’d come across. He’d been away from Konoha for approximately a month, but he still hadn’t left the Land of Fire yet. He hoped he was disguised enough that no one would recognize him or that the villagers just wouldn’t care enough to notice. Sasuke felt his bag, remembering that it was just about empty. He spotted what looked like a small store and went in. Almost as soon as he stepped in, a smiley shopkeeper greeted him.  
“Hello there, friend! Welcome to Geru’s Groceries! Shop around and please come find me if there’s something I can help with.”  
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the man’s clearly rehearsed lines. “Thanks,” he murmured. He perused the store, which was filled with just about anything he could think of. The tomatoes, in particular, caught his eyes; they were fresh and juicy-looking, perfect for a salad. But he knew he would have no place to store them, so there was no use in buying them. Instead, he picked up some non-perishables: dried meat, sliced daikon, uncooked rice, and the dried seaweed he’d become increasingly fond of. Sasuke didn’t like sweet things, but he picked up some tea anyways, as a cup of hot, plain green tea always calmed him some. The last thing he saw was instant ramen, reminding him of his teammate’s favorite food. He grabbed some and paid for everything he’d gotten.  
Once he was outside the store, Sasuke checked his map. He was close to the northern border of the Land of Fire, as marked by the name of the village he was in, Horotare. The closest border was with the Land of Hot Water, where he figured he’d be able to visit a hot spring, relax for some time, then head back out. He wasn’t looking for comfort as he traveled, but it would be nice to take a real bath and eat a real meal for once. Sasuke nodded and rolled back up his map, looking forward to a nice bath.


	2. Butterflies & Noodles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I should mention that this fic switches perspective, mostly between Sasuke and Sakura, but Naruto and Kakashi will have pov chapters later I think. Anyways, enjoy!

Sakura walked slowly through the village back to her apartment. She was exhausted; she had been helping Tsunade at the hospital with both administrative and medical tasks. Konoha was still rebuilding, and the hospital was still dealing with understaffing, so she had taken the brunt of the work along with Shizune and Tsunade. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten all day. For some odd reason, she was craving ramen, so she decided to stop by the closest shop to her place: Ichiraku. Unsurprisingly, her yellow-haired friend was there too, devouring a second bowl. As she drew closer, he spotted her and waved cheerfully.

“Sakura-chan! Come to get some ramen?” Naruto smiled, his lips greasy with juice.

She smiled softly and sat on the stool next to him. “Yeah. I’m starving, haven’t eaten all day,” She gestured to catch the owner’s attention. “I’d like to get a pork ramen bowl, extra noodles, please.” The owner smiled and nodded at her.

“Whoa, Sakura-chan! You must really be hungry today! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get extra before,” She only nodded, looking down at the bar. Naruto frowned and lowered his voice. “Hey, you ok? You look down or something.”

Sakura shook herself out of a daze. “Um, yeah I’m fine. Just tired; Lady Tsunade has got me working double time at the hospital and it’s pretty draining.” 

“Ah, sorry to hear that Sakura. But Tsunade would be dumb to not have the best medical-nin in Konoha on the case, right?” He smiled brightly at her and slurped his ramen.

She picked up her chopsticks and dug into her own bowl. “Thanks, Naruto. What have you been up to lately? I’ve been so busy I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

“Oh, you know, the standard. Been catching up on some training, studying scrolls or whatever. Talked to Kakashi-sensei too.”

Sakura looked surprised. She’d heard that the Hokage had been swamped with work recently and had no time to talk, at least not leisurely. “Oh? What did you guys talk about?”

Naruto blushed and coughed, slightly choking on his noodles. “Um, what? Oh, er, nothing, ya know, just...stuff,” He chuckled nervously. “Hey, Sakura-chan? You’re not still worried about Sasuke are you?”

The question caught Sakura by surprise. She had been dismayed at his words for at least a week after he left, but a constant flow of work left her unable to think about much else. She thought she still had feelings for him, as her heart still fluttered when she heard his name, but it didn’t seem as exciting as it had before. “No, not really. I mean, I still want him to come home, but I know he can handle himself out there.”

Naruto nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

The two teammates were silent for a few moments, the only sound was their chopsticks hitting the ramen bowl. It was Naruto who broke the silence. 

“Hey, Sakura-chan?”

“Hmm?” She answered, looking up from her bowl.

“Do you, ya know...maybe wanna hang out sometimes? Ya know, maybe not like, uh, just Ichiraku, ya know? Maybe just, like, a nice dinner and a movie, ya know?” Naruto’s face was redder than a tomato, with him rubbing the back of his neck as a nervous habit.

Sakura blushed slightly too. She didn’t know why she was surprised, Naruto had asked her on dates before, but she never took him seriously. “Are you… asking me on a date?”

“Well, uh, I mean, not if you don’t want to, ya know?” He stammered.

Sakura smiled. Naruto was pretty cute when he was nervous. “Sure, why not? I’ll ask Lady Tsunade if I can leave a few hours early.”

Naruto smiled brightly, even wider than he usually did. “Cool! So… see you Friday?”

“Yeah, see you Friday, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto pushed his bowls away from him and pulled out his frog wallet to pay for his meal. He chuckled and placed a hand on Sakura’s shoulder, startling her slightly. “Don’t worry, Sakura-chan, I’ve got you covered, ya know.” He whistled a tune as he walked away towards his apartment. 

Sakura smiled at his kind gesture. Naruto had changed quite a bit since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War; he was more thoughtful, quicker to listen before he talked, and, well, growing more handsome. He had never been ugly, but his growing hair and shining blue eyes appealed more and more to Sakura. She wanted to be with Sasuke, but every day that passed made that seem less of a reality. She’d been talking to Ino about her conflicted feelings and Ino simply said she should move on and that Naruto was interested so she should at least try. Sakura nodded and left for her apartment, feeling more optimistic than ever.


	3. An (Easy) Choice

The air felt warmer as Sasuke climbed the stairs to the onsen. He’d passed by the natural hot springs dotted across the Land of Hot Water in favor of an official onsen where he could eat and sleep. The building housing the onsen was clearly old and built in the traditional style. Upon entering, a lady greeted him. 

“Welcome visitor! How long will you be staying?”

Sasuke scanned the interior of the lobby, looking for threats out of habit. “Just today and tonight.” He answered dryly. 

The smiley lady gestured to follow her. “Excellent. Right this way.”

The receptionist led him to a room that looked a bit small, but comfortable. “Enjoy your stay!” 

Sasuke nodded and removed his shoes, as the floor was the traditional tatami mat. In the corner of the room, separated from the living space by sliding paper doors. He sat his bag down in the space, not caring to remove the contents of it. He pressed down on the futon, which seemed comfortable enough. The bathroom was nearby, so he removed his clothes and went to shower before entering the onsen. It felt good to get clean properly, using soap and water. Sasuke wasn’t frivolous, so he didn’t need much more than that, but he had to admit the green tea scrub the onsen provided made his skin glow. Satisfied with his shower, he grabbed the robe the onsen receptionist left, put on the traditional sandals, and headed towards the hot springs. The pools were public and separated by gender and, thankfully, not crowded on the male side. There were two others sitting close together, so Sasuke went on the opposite end. They glared at him for a moment, but quickly averted their gaze as he removed his towel to enter the spring. He sighed as the hot water washed over him, coaxing him to relax. He still didn’t take his eyes off the two men, who had lowered their voices to a whisper. They didn’t look threatening, in fact, they looked as if they were retired, but he could never be too careful. 

A few minutes passed and the men got up to leave, emptying the pool. Sasuke sighed, closing his eyes as he was left alone in the pool. The warmth was nice, wearing away the weeks of long travel. He thought back to the time he’d gone to an onsen with Team 7. They’d been obsessing over getting Kakashi to reveal his face. He smiled at how silly the memory was, at the brief carefreeness he’d experienced. He still never understood why Kakashi hid his face since there was nothing wrong with it, but he guessed there was some outlandish reason. He sat a little while longer, basking in comfortable heat, near to dozing off until he heard giggling from somewhere. The sound made his eyes fly open, searching for the source of the noise. There was more giggling and then splashing. Sasuke activated his sharingan, only to quickly deactivate it. He figured the sound was coming from the female designated section of the onsen, as the pools were only separated by a bamboo fence. He closed his eyes again, only to be interrupted by even more giggling and splashing noises, this time even louder. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed, choosing to end his soak instead of listening to a bunch of rowdy girls. He returned to his room to find a full course meal laid out in living space, which he hoped was complimentary. He finished the food quicker than he planned to, a habit that was likely a remnant of his time with Orochimaru; he always ate quickly so as to return to his training as quickly as possible. The receptionist must’ve assumed he was of legal age, since a bottle of sake was left for him. Sasuke was by no means a goody-two-shoes, but alcohol never interested him so much that he would actively seek it out. After eating and reading some scrolls, Sasuke decided it was time to get some sleep, as he hoped to travel for a few days without stopping. 

~

Sasuke rose early the next morning, breaking his fast, showering, and packing all within an hour. He paid the receptionist for his stay, though he noted that it was a different smiley lady than before. The land all around him was peaceful, the trees rustling gently, and the soft sounds of gushing water. He was ready to continue his journey in solitude until he heard laughter that sounded too familiar. He looked down the stairs and spotted a group of about a dozen girls, all playing and giggly. Rolling his eyes, he began to stroll down the stairs and pass them, but no quicker than he could take five steps past them, one of the girls spoke up.

“Oh? Didn’t know there was someone else here, guess our onsen friend got tired of just us,” Sasuke slowed his steps, but still rolled his eyes. He only got a few steps away before she spoke again. “Eh? I’m talking to you, pretty boy. Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore a lady?”

Sasuke stopped and sighed. He turned around to address them. “What do you want?”

The girl tilted her head, her long hair swaying to the side. “Just curious, Yumi usually reserves the entire onsen for us,” The girl came closer to Sasuke, crossing her arms. She squinted, taking a closer look at him. “Wait, I know that look. You must be a shinobi, huh?”

Sasuke frowned and took a closer look at the girl speaking to him. She couldn’t have been from any of the hidden villages, or at least she wasn’t a shinobi, given the lack of a headband. She wasn’t a noble either, despite the gaggle of girls following her; by the way they were dressed, they were hardly better than peasants. “Tch, how did you guess and why do you care?”

She chuckled. “What? It’s so obvious, the way you walk, your intense stare. Yep, you’re a ninja alright. Seen plenty like you before.”

“There are none like me. I’ll ask again, what is it you want?”

The girl scratched her hair and smiled nervously. “Well, you’re a shinobi, right? Judging by looks, you’re a fierce fighter. Why don’t you join our little troupe? We could use a skilled fighter like you.”

Sasuke balled his fists. “That’s awfully bold, just assuming because I’m a shinobi I’m any good at fighting. And what makes you think I would just join your band of little girls on a whim? I don’t know you and you don’t know me, so it’s best you leave me be.” He turned to walk away, but the girl slid in front of him.

“Hey, hey, not so fast,” She smiled at him, even though he’d grumbled when she got in his way. She was close now, close enough where Sasuke could smell her scent: a familiar green tea smell. Her eyes were a deep blue, almost close to purple, and her smile was reflected in them, unlike the receptionist’s. “Maybe we don’t know each other, but I’m a pretty fantastic judge of character. I can tell you’re a great shinobi, trust me. And besides, two shinobi are better than one, right?”

Sasuke squinted. He could have sworn there was no way this girl was a shinobi; everything about her screamed civilian, down to the way she stood. “You’re a ninja, huh? Then what village are you from?”

The girl scratched the back of her head again, an obvious nervous tick. “Er, well, I’m not exactly ‘traditionally trained’, as one might put it. I didn’t grow up in the hidden villages, but I just managed to pick up some skills along the road. So whaddaya say, join us?”

Sasuke sighed and looked at the group of girls. There were about a dozen or so girls, each about the same age as him. They obviously came from different backgrounds, some with clothes patched up with cheap cloth, others wearing more expensive( though clearly scavenged) clothing. “Look, I’m not interested in joining your girl band or whatever, so step aside. Or else,” He gritted his teeth, not quite wanting to use his sharingan yet, but it seemed to have no effect on the girl, as she remained in his path.

“Are you sure? We’re traveling the world over, you know, seeing as much as possible. It would suck if we were to, I don’t know, get attacked by some bandits. Besides, you’ll have tons of fun, right girls?” She gestured to her band, who cheered and laughed.

Sasuke groaned. He could’ve traveled the world over in the time he’d spent in this conversation. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, taking the time to think. Why was he sticking around? Honestly, at any point in the conversation he could have run, but he didn’t. And now, standing in front of this strange so-called shinobi, he weighed his options. He could go with them, but he could leave whenever he pleased. At least he could have some company, a thought that never really occurred or concerned him at first. “Fine. I’ll go with you, but don’t expect me to stick around. And no funny business, or else I’ll end every single one of you.”

The girl laughed and patted his shoulder, causing Sasuke to flinch. “Awesome! Welcome aboard, friend. Oh, I almost forgot, I’m Yuzu, great to meet you!” She stretched out her hand.

Sasuke sighed once again and shook her hand. He noted how soft her hands were. “Sasuke. Don’t make me regret this,” 

Yuzu laughed, turning around to introduce her friends to their newest member.


	4. Hokage Duties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So one thing I dislike about Naruto is the lack of worldbuilding; like Kishimoto either doesn't care or isn't good at it lol. I think one of the most underdeveloped part of Naruto's world is the geography; we only know the five main ninja nations and a few countries that surround them. So I took it into my own hands to est. some of the outside world. I'll leave a link to the map I used if you want to see it.
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/fire-daimyo/art/Naruto-World-The-Complete-Map-2020-830514934

Kakashi sighed as he finished the last pile of papers on his desk. Being Hokage was really a bore sometimes, though it had its moments. As far as he knew though, the only real benefit was the Hokage’s quarters, which came with a deluxe kitchen and was super spacious, despite the fact he was only ever there to sleep. He rested his head on his arm and as soon as he did, Shikamaru entered his office, causing Kakashi to groan.

Shikamaru examined the stack of papers with his typical bored expression. “Well, color me surprised, you actually managed to finish it all in one day.”

“Ugh, no thanks to you. Where were you all day anyway?”

“Doing some work you told me to do. Went to get some forms from the hospital and some correspondences from other villages.”

Kakashi groaned, smacking his head on the desk. “Ugh! Not more paperwork!” 

Shikamaru smirked and put his hands in his pockets. “Don’t worry, Hokage-sama. There’s not as much, so it shouldn’t take a whole day. The correspondences though…,”

“Well, I expected regular communication with Suna, so that’s not new. What do the other villages need from us?”

Shikamaru shrugged. He had an intense desire for a cigarette at the moment but tried to suppress it. “Dunno. The seals say it’s exclusively to be read by the Hokage. So I guess, you’re on your own with this one.”

“As usual,” Kakashi mumbled, lifting his head from the desk. He looked at the clock on the wall opposite his desk. “I’ll get to it tomorrow, it’s getting late. And I’m pretty sure I’ll vomit if I see another piece of paper.”

Shikamaru glanced up at the clock himself, realizing it was already after 9:00. “Sure. I’ll bring the papers in for tomorrow. Goodnight, Hokage-sama.”

Kakashi nodded his dismissal and leaned back in his seat right after Shikamaru left. He sighed in exhaustion once again. Being Hokage wasn’t terrible, but it was simply so much work. At least in the past, he’d enjoyed the hard work of a jonin, even if he was responsible for his students. He liked the camaraderie of interacting with fellow jonin and he’d enjoyed seeing his students grow in their abilities and their personalities. But being the Hokage meant he rarely had time to do anything but work, reading papers from the hospital, communications from the Hidden Villages, and bills. Between the work and assigning missions when needed, he hardly had time for himself; even his prized Icha-Icha books went unread these days. Not to mention the more… “private” needs that went unattended. Kakashi definitely wasn’t a virgin, but the last few years had allowed him little time for flings or relationships. He tried not to think too much about it, but it irked him slightly that many of his subordinates were dating or trying to date; even Sai had found someone he was interested in, which Kakashi didn’t actually think was possible.

Kakashi removed his shoes upon entering his chambers and went to heat up the same takeout he’d ordered earlier that day. That was another thing he missed, being not tired enough to cook his meals every evening. He wasn’t a superb cook or anything, but he enjoyed cooking for himself. He could have hired a cook to prepare his dinner, sure, but such frivolities would have reflected badly on him, especially because every hand was needed to properly rebuild Konoha. He sighed at his predicament, half-heartedly eating then getting ready for bed, for another long day.

*

The next day started early, with Kakashi arriving in his office at 7:00. He was slightly surprised that Shikamaru hadn’t gotten there first, but he never really had a set time he came in anyways. As he began to work, Shikamaru knocked. Kakashi welcomed him in, hoping he would be able to help.

“Morning, Hokage-sama. Getting started early today?” Shikamaru greeted him lazily, carrying a tray with breakfast food on it. 

Kakashi yawned. “You did say this wouldn’t take a whole day, so I figured I’d get a headstart,” Shikamaru sat the tray on his desk. “Oh, you brought me breakfast? How nice.” Kakashi smiled under his mask.

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets, as he often did. “Yeah, consider it part of an apology. There’s a lot more lined up for today than you might’ve thought.”

Kakashi tried not to groan, considering the tasty looking food his assistant brought him. “Gah, that sounds about right. Well, when you’re the Hokage, I guess that comes with the territory.” He grabbed his chopsticks and began to eat, the rice and pork still warm.

“Hmm, right. You can read some of these messages now if you want. Honestly, most of them are a drag, they really should be ignored,” Shikamaru lifted a bag that contained the scrolls sent by surrounding lands. “Like this one, it’s congrats on the peace between the Five Ninja Nations. Totally unnecessary.”

“True. Still, we should send a response. Just to keep up relations and honorary appearances. What else is there?”

“Let’s see, oh, a request for aid from the Land of Tea,” Shikamaru raised his eyebrows. “It’s sealed by their Feudal Lord, so it must be official.”   
Kakashi sat his chopsticks down and reached for the scroll. He glanced over it for a few moments. “So more bandits, huh? A squad of chunin should be able to handle it.”  
Shikamaru grumbled and tilted his head. “That could be trouble. We’ve already got most of our chunin on missions in and out of the village. We might have to look otherwise, like a squad of chunin and jonin.”

“Alright, are any of your former classmates available?”

“Hmm, Neji just returned from his mission a few days ago. Ino is with Sakura and Hinata helping Tsunade at the hospital. Choji and Lee are out and Shino and Kiba are away training. So it looks like our best option might be Neji and some others.”

Kakashi sat in thought for a moment. Neji might have been a jonin, but he didn’t want to risk the lives of potentially under-prepared chunin on a B-level mission. “Right. Be sure to summon him so he can be briefed.”

Shikamaru scribbled some notes on a clipboard. He took a few moments to shuffle through a few more of the messages while Kakashi finished his breakfast. When he was done, he scoffed and rolled his eyes. “What a drag. Kakashi-sama, you wouldn’t believe how many of these ‘urgent’ messages are just marriage proposals from different lords.”

Kakashi almost choked on his tea at hearing that. “W-what? Marriage? Why?” 

“Probably because...well, I don’t know actually. There could be a number of reasons. For one, you’re Hokage, the leader of one of the shinobi villages. You were already pretty famous before then, I think, at least among ninjas. You’re not that old either, still of marrying age. Any lord trying to get ahead is of course going to want to marry off his daughter to a powerful man.”

Kakashi paled. He knew of clans marrying into other clans to form alliances, it wasn’t uncommon in Konoha, but feudal lords from outside the Land of Fire? He hadn’t even considered that to be a possibility. “Ahem. I see. What do you think? Should I consider these offers?”

Shikamaru shrugged. “Meh, that seems pretty time-consuming to me,” He took a look at more of the letters. “Some of them even sent pictures. Best to just ignore these.”

Kakashi’s eyebrows raised. “Pictures?” His time reading Jiraiya’s books was definitely affecting his judgment. The fact that he even thought there could be a small possibility that one of them could be the one... “Er, well it couldn’t hurt to look at a few, right?”

“Seriously?” Shikamaru scoffed and handed him the first letter. “Well, if you insist.”

Kakashi scanned the letter, which had been sent from the Land of Gold, a rich country that bordered the Land of Earth. The letter briefly explained that the lord’s daughter was of marrying age and an alliance would be beneficial to both sides. He glanced at the picture and grimaced. The girl in it could not have been older than 13, the same age as most of the genin in the village. Kakashi shook his head vigorously. “Definitely not,” he tossed the photo aside. “Any others?” 

Shikamaru handed him letter after letter and none of them appealed to Kakashi. Some of them had even been written by the daughters themselves, begging for his attention and trying their best to flatter him. Kakashi was about to call it quits and move on to the next task when one picture caught his attention. The woman in the picture was striking: her eyes were the color of amethysts and her hair was jet black and dotted with accessories that Kakashi didn’t recognize. Her clothes indicated her foreign origin, as they were in a style much different from anything in the ninja nations. She had a pleasant smile on her face and looked to be around the same age as him, maybe a bit younger. He showed the photo to Shikamaru after reading the letter. “She’s beautiful, but I have no idea where this ‘Land of Winter’ is.”

Shikamaru tilted his head in thought, no doubt searching his impressive memory. “Ah, I think it’s one of the provinces of the Land of the North. The clan in control there is Kanazawa, but they answer to a king of some sort. Very far away, though.”

“I see,” Kakashi took another long look at her again, ignoring the actual contents of the letter. “Can Konoha accommodate a potentially large party? I mean, given the current situation, that is.” 

“We’d have to shift some things around, but I can’t see why not?” Shikamaru squinted at Kakashi. “Wait, you can’t possibly be considering entertaining a proposal from these people?”

Kakashi blushed under his mask. “Er, I mean it couldn’t hurt, could it? This lord’s daughter seems interesting, I think--,”

“Kakashi-sama, what is her name? The lord’s daughter, I mean.”

He broke out into a sweat and began to laugh nervously. He hadn’t actually read the letter, but he didn’t think Shikamaru would notice. “Umm, I’m sure it’s Kanazawa, right?” 

Shikamaru face palmed and groaned. “How can you claim you’re interested if you don’t even know her name? Seriously, this is such a drag. Let’s just put it with the others and move on.”

Kakashi nodded hesitantly. He scanned the letter for her name before handing it back to his assistant. So her name is Mariko, he thought to himself. He put her photo in the drawer next to him and continued onto his paperwork.


End file.
